2009 Miami Heat

The Miami Heat ended the 2008-09 season in third place in the Southeast Division, a significant improvement from the previous season’s last place finish, and they made it into the playoffs (though they exited in the first round). The offseason was mostly quiet as the team saves cap space to land a worthy sidekick for Dwayne Wade next summer, though they traded Mark Blount for Quentin Richardson and drafted Patrick Beverley and Robert Dozier. Much will depend on Michael Beasley’s improvement and Wade’s health, but the pundits are predicting a return to the playoffs for the Heat. So, do you wanna watch it on TV, or experience it live and in person? If you pick the latter, then go ahead and score your American Airlines Arena tickets and get ready to cheer the Miami Heat on to a winning 2009-10 season!

The Miami Heat came into the NBA in 1988 as part of the league's expansion program that included the Orlando Magic, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Charlotte Hornets. The team, like most expansion teams, struggled at the onset. The Heat failed to have a winning record in their first five seasons. In 1989, the Miami Heat struggled on the court, but they did see success that season. A productive draft left them with the rights to Glenn Rice. Rice became the all-time scoring leader in Big Ten Conference history en route to leading his Michigan Wolverines to the NCAA Championship. The Heat would struggle, but not for long.

In 1991, the Heat made a coaching change, bringing in 29-year basketball veteran Kevin Loughery to become the head coach. That season the Miami Heat made it to the NBA playoffs, becoming the first of their 1988 expansion peers to do so. In 1991, the Heat drafted Steve Smith. Smith was a versatile player who complemented Glenn Rice well. Smith and Rice led the team to the playoffs for the first time in their history as they met Michael Jordan and the tremendously talented Chicago Bulls. The Bulls swept right through Miami in three games.

In 1995, the Heat hired Pat Riley. Riley brought 13 years of coaching experience to Miami. In all of those years he never once failed to make the playoffs. His first move as President and head coach was a blockbuster trade that sent Glenn Rice and others to Charlotte in exchange for Alonzo Mourning and two other players. By the end of the season, Riley acquired many other players, including Tim Hardaway, leaving only one player left on the Heat from his predecessor. In 1996, just one year after Riley's arrival, the Heat found themselves in uncharted waters. They won 61 games that season and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, only to be cut down once again by Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

In 2000, the team changed venues and moved into the beautiful, state-of-the-art, waterfront American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Today they remain at American Airlines Arena, but the face of the team is much different. In 2003, Pat Riley stepped down as head coach, paving the way for Stan Van Gundy, whose brother Mike coached the Houston Rockets. 2003 also brought outstanding scorer and rebounder Lamar Odom to the team. There Odom was joined by Eddie Jones. Though Jones has changed jerseys several times in his career, his numbers have never faltered. Jones averages nearly 17 points per game for his career. In 2005 Riley became the Heat’s head coach once again, a post he held until 2008 when he stepped down and named former Heart assistant coach Erik Spoelstra as his replacement.

Miami is home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. LandShark Stadium hosts the Dolphins at home. LandShark Stadium is also the home of the 2003 World Series Champion Florida Marlins. The Marlins, led by veteran Pudge Rodriguez and youngster Josh Beckett, shocked the baseball world by taking down the New York Yankees in the World Series. The NHL's Florida Panthers skate at Miami's BankAtlantic Center.